No. 8 women from the state of North Carolina bring down No. 1 South Carolina

COLOMBIA, SC – North Carolina coach Wes Moore channeled twice Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells after Wolfpack’s historic victory over South Carolina’s No. 1.

Raina Perez hit a 3-point go-ahead with 3:07 remaining and Kayla Jones had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Wolfpack, eighth-placed, ended the 29-game straight streak with a 54-46 win on Thursday night -market.

Moore, like his players, was happy with the victory in the first match. But it is too early for anyone to think that Wolfpack can now survive during the season.

“Parcells used to talk about ‘Big game, next game’,” said Moore. “We are going to have to make sure that we are ready to play on Sunday. But we will enjoy this for about 24 hours.”

There was so much to enjoy.

Along with Jones, Jakia Brown-Turner made a double-double with 11 points and 12 bags. And during the critical time, Wolfpack beat South Carolina 11-2 in the last five minutes.

Wolfpack (3-0) defeated a top-ranked opponent for the first time since Duke’s elimination at the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

South Carolina (3-1) lost for the first time since falling to Indiana on November 28, 2019, and the first time at home since the 68-64 loss to the State of Mississippi at the end of the regular season ago two seasons.

Gamecocks were freezing all the time, shooting 28% of the field.

“In my 21 years (as a coach), I never felt like I did during the game,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. “Uncoachable. Indomitable. Selfish game.”

Elissa Cunane added 14 points, five rebounds and four blocks, and Perez finished with 11 points.

Cunane made two free kicks to put Wolfpack ahead 48-44 with less than two minutes left. But Zia Cooke’s theft and layup tied South Carolina with a basket 53.4 seconds from the end. After a time limit, Wolfpack threw the ball around a Jones wide open for a 3-point basket.

When LeLe Grissett was called in for a charge in possession of the next ball, the celebration began 15 seconds from the end.

Cooke and Laeticia Amihere led the Gamecocks with 11 points each. Amihere also had 15 rebounds.

Jones believes the NC State victory has shown that it will be a team to be considered this season. “I feel it is a great victory,” she said. “I thought we could compete with anyone.”

Both teams remained in defense in the first half, making the fight defensive to score points.

Wolfpack hit 25%, but was better than South Carolina, who made 8 of 37 and missed 14 consecutive shots.

Moore said there is a lot to clean up, especially in the attack. But he is happy to be able to teach these lessons after a victory forever.

“It’s not March,” he said. “But it is a game in which we can definitely develop.”

South Carolina has been at the top of the last 12 AP polls since last season. That race will end next week with this defeat.

NC State returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Coastal Carolina.